SC asks Ex-Punjab & Haryana HC Judge to monitor Lakhimpur probe

The SC on Wednesday appointed former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rakesh Kumar Jain to monitor the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which a BJP convoy, led by Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, mowed down protesting farmers.

Justice Jain will ensure impartiality and independence in the investigation, a bench led by CJI NV Ramana said. The matter will be listed after the chargesheet in the case is filed, the bench said. The bench also reconstituted the SIT which will probe the incident. The bench appointed the retired judge to monitor the probe after expressing its disappointment at the progress in the investigations.

The bench was concerned by the lack of investigative distance between the probe into the mowing down incident and the retaliatory violence which followed.


Three of the accused were killed in the retaliatory violence. The UP government had informed the SC that the witnesses in the retaliatory violence were giving exculpatory statements in favour of the accused in the mowing down incident.

The SC was also unhappy over the lack of progress in the probe. The state claimed that the forensics reports were delayed by the laboratories.

The bench also reconstituted the SIT to instil confidence in it with direct IPS recruits hailing from outside UP but working in the UP cadre.

"... the present SIT predominantly comprises middle/subordinate level officers posted in Lakhimpur Kheri. It appears to us that in spite of the perceived commitment and sincerity in carrying out the investigation, there may still be a lurking suspicion in respect of the fairness and independence of such an investigation."

The three IPS officers who will now be part of the SIT will be SB Shridhar, Padmaja Chauhan and Dr Preetinder Singh.